I just received a Steam 105S to demo. I will report back how it compares to the Vortex's. I spoke to Tom from Vortex recently and told me that they are waiting on new Pro 116's that are a bit stiffer than the one I have. He was not happy with the stiffness of the one I am using. The are also going to be receiving a Pro 120+ racket. He said I could be one of the one's to demo it.

So I tried out the Steam 105. It felt like a toy compared to the Vortex. It just didn't feel solid. What came to mind as I hit with it was that it felt hollow, kind of like a shell of a racket without everything else. It did have a lot of spin, but not as much as the Vortex. I could play with it if I had to, but I don't think I could ever grow to like it. No wonder so may Steams are showing up on the For Sale forum.
I used to change rackets every 6 months or so. In June it will be 3 years since I switched to Vortex. I don't see myself changing any time soon. I am looking forward to trying the new Pro 116 to see how it compares to the prototype that I have.

So I tried out the Steam 105. It felt like a toy compared to the Vortex. It just didn't feel solid. What came to mind as I hit with it was that it felt hollow, kind of like a shell of a racket without everything else. It did have a lot of spin, but not as much as the Vortex. I could play with it if I had to, but I don't think I could ever grow to like it. No wonder so may Steams are showing up on the For Sale forum.
I used to change rackets every 6 months or so. In June it will be 3 years since I switched to Vortex. I don't see myself changing any time soon. I am looking forward to trying the new Pro 116 to see how it compares to the prototype that I have.

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Exactly all this hype and the vortex is a much better racket than the 99BS or 105BS.

So I tried out the Steam 105. It felt like a toy compared to the Vortex. It just didn't feel solid. What came to mind as I hit with it was that it felt hollow, kind of like a shell of a racket without everything else. It did have a lot of spin, but not as much as the Vortex. I could play with it if I had to, but I don't think I could ever grow to like it. No wonder so may Steams are showing up on the For Sale forum.
I used to change rackets every 6 months or so. In June it will be 3 years since I switched to Vortex. I don't see myself changing any time soon. I am looking forward to trying the new Pro 116 to see how it compares to the prototype that I have.

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how'd the Vortex ES100 work out for you? what you described above is exactly how i felt about the ES100. i hit w/ my buddy's Steam 99S demo and thought it felt very solid. haven't tried the 105 yet.

I haven't used it much. I strung it up too tight and just haven't taken the time to dial in the correct tension for me. I will add that to my list of things to do.
I just found out that the Pro-116 frames will not arrive until late June.

I finally found my tension on the ES-100 (53lbs) and I am very happy with it. It plays........well.......very Vortex like. I can switch back and forth between my 3 rackets without a lot of trouble. I kind of like that. It doesn't feel hollow to me like the Steam. It is less solid than the Pro-116, but more solid than the ES-116.

I finally found my tension on the ES-100 (53lbs) and I am very happy with it. It plays........well.......very Vortex like. I can switch back and forth between my 3 rackets without a lot of trouble. I kind of like that. It doesn't feel hollow to me like the Steam. It is less solid than the Pro-116, but more solid than the ES-116.

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Wow ...the steam is that hollow?? Because the ES does seen hollow to me and yet stable. I think it's because of the wide throat?

Maybe you mean the steam feels flimsy and unstable ?

On another note Vortex is out of the tour 95. They are on back order . I would be in the market for two.

Wow ...the steam is that hollow?? Because the ES does seen hollow to me and yet stable. I think it's because of the wide throat?

Maybe you mean the steam feels flimsy and unstable ?

On another note Vortex is out of the tour 95. They are on back order . I would be in the market for two.

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i use the tour 95 and love it, too. i've tried the 99s, and without intending to influence your playtest feelings either way on the 99s:

the tour 95 is much more solid and comfortable, especially when shanking a ball. the 99s hits a naturally loopier ball than the tour 95. the 99s slices well like the tour 95, but i feel that the tour 95 is more versatile in that it outputs what you put in. if you heavy topspin it will do it, flat is no problem, slice is awesome. the tour 95 ball is more penetrating than the 99s ball. i also have not experienced the string issues w/the tour 95 that people are experiencing w/the 99s. i sometimes even use 18g Gosen OGSM w/the Vortex and get decent life. still, the 99s is a fun racquet to use. personally i would like to lead one up and try again.

i use the tour 95 and love it, too. i've tried the 99s, and without intending to influence your playtest feelings either way on the 99s:

the tour 95 is much more solid and comfortable, especially when shanking a ball. the 99s hits a naturally loopier ball than the tour 95. the 99s slices well like the tour 95, but i feel that the tour 95 is more versatile in that it outputs what you put in. if you heavy topspin it will do it, flat is no problem, slice is awesome. the tour 95 ball is more penetrating than the 99s ball. i also have not experienced the string issues w/the tour 95 that people are experiencing w/the 99s. i sometimes even use 18g Gosen OGSM w/the Vortex and get decent life. still, the 99s is a fun racquet to use. personally i would like to lead one up and try again.

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Wow!! Thank you !

I'm trying to not prejudge it either.

Lifting the two sticks the Wilson just feels cheap comparing to the tour 95.

I love my vortex but I'm willing to try the steam . I'll string it up shortly and give a review .

I'd love to see your review comparing the two sticks.

By the way vortex is out of stock of the tour 95's. I have a tour 100 if you want to trade ?

Hi Gads, here's what the website says, though i immediately added a bunch of weight to the handle, none to the head, no overgrip on mine, so just tweaked until i liked the balance. i haven't taken measurements other than it's about 13.25 oz now:

Gads, i know you've been curious about the tour 95 for a while now. all i can advise is just try one. you might love it, might hate it. you have 30 days to tweak, etc. and if you don't like it just return it and get a refund. Tom the owner is in San Clemente (i think you're in LA?).

my tour 95 is my Excalibur. though i'm a racketaholic, if i'm super serious about a match i use the tour 95. i'm kind of curious about the Pro 100, but it's not arriving until May.

Hi Gads, here's what the website says, though i immediately added a bunch of weight to the handle, none to the head, no overgrip on mine, so just tweaked until i liked the balance. i haven't taken measurements other than it's about 13.25 oz now:

Gads, i know you've been curious about the tour 95 for a while now. all i can advise is just try one. you might love it, might hate it. you have 30 days to tweak, etc. and if you don't like it just return it and get a refund. Tom the owner is in San Clemente (i think you're in LA?).

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That's correct. I for one really like the Steam. A more full feeling Steam sounds lovely.

How's serving? I actually find serving to be the most effortless part of the Steam experience so far.

That's correct. I for one really like the Steam. A more full feeling Steam sounds lovely.

How's serving? I actually find serving to be the most effortless part of the Steam experience so far.

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serving for me is more than great (topspin and the bomb, i'm not great at the super wide slice), but maybe Dark Knight's input might be more relevant since i've upped the weight on mine heavier than many peoples' sticks.

my tour 95 is my Excalibur. though i'm a racketaholic, if i'm super serious about a match i use the tour 95. i'm kind of curious about the Pro 100, but it's not arriving until May.

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I couldn't agree more ! And I'm so glad there is someone else on this earth who validates me. It's so rare to even find someone else that uses this stick much less who loves it as much as me.

I don't think the steam is going to come close just from the specs and my holding the two but I'm going to give it a fair try .

Is the pro 100 different than the tour 100 ?

I had a hard time choosing between the tour 100 and the tour 95 ....VERY hard . In fact sometimes I still doubt myself . They are almost the same stick.

It's funny how I came upon the Vortex tour 95....basically I kept using the same stick and just enjoying an open and more open string pattern and that's why I'm interested in the steam 99s as it's even more open than the tour 95.

I started off my journey with a blade 18x20 string pattern. I then tried the Donnay pro one which is a blade with a 16x19 pattern and I loved it even more.

I was so happy and thought I found my Excalibur and then came the tour 95 & 100 which was basically the same racquet as the blade & Donnay but even a
More sparse string pattern. I was sold and fell In love .

It was a very difficult choice between the 95 &100.....but I settled on the tour 95.

And after this long journey ......just when I was happy .....Wilson comes put with the steam 99s .....an even more sparse string pattern.

Except this time the racquets seem to have different specs . The vortex , blade , and Donnays seem like a much more solid racquet.

But so far the sparser the string pattern the more I enjoy the stick .
So the Jury is still out.

I just pray that no one comes out with yet another version .....but now you mention the Pro 100???? No more pain please!! WTF?? I have to look
This one up .

serving for me is more than great (topspin and the bomb, i'm not great at the super wide slice), but maybe Dark Knight's input might be more relevant since i've upped the weight on mine heavier than many peoples' sticks.

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I'm in love with the tour 95 and the 100
For that matter.

I add nothing to the stick. It's just perfect .

The tour 100 is a really great stick and I've always played with nothing smaller than a 98.

But with the vortex I can actually go down to a 95. That's never happened to me before .

It's a Kblade on crack! I absolutely LOVE it.

The only downside is return of serve for me. I can return serve better with the tour 100.....but that's it.

If you enjoy the Kblade and similar sticks you will LOVE the tour 95. It's the same stick just simply MORE.

Nice to see that this thread hasn't died---I've been following it off and on for a couple of years.

I've been playing with the Vortex 133 for the past two years. I also tried the 108 and the 116, but I find I get the best results with the 133. PLUS, it totally freaks out my opponents. Most of them can't get over how BIG it is. I have a 4-7/8" grip on it, which also causes some eye bulging.

I am a 68 year old USTA 4.0, only play doubles. So, in that regard, I'm out of the mainstream for this forum, as 99% of the members who post here seem to be only interested in "players" rackets, hitting big forehands with massive topspin, etc. In other words, Nadal wannabes.

My epiphany with the Vortex came when I learned to quit trying so hard to generate spin with it, and just let the racket do its thing. One earlier post mentioned that the racket does extremely well on "reflex" shots. AMEN to that! I always had trouble with service returns against big servers. Now I just let the racket feed off the service power, and the returns just float back to the baseline as if by magic.

Same goes for lobs. The Vortex seems to have some sort of built in radar that causes all lobs to land on the baseline. VERY comforting to me, infuriating to opponents.

In my age group, I don't have to face many serve/volley style opponents. In fact, I am the only consistent serve/volley player I know of in my age group (older than dirt).

Here's what the Vortex has done for my game.
1. Consistent slice serves to the deuce court, topspin kickers to the ad court. Neither serve has wicked pace or apparent big spin, but they handcuff opponents.
2. Consistent groundies, especially off the b/h. LOTS of underspin and bite, very effective sidespin down the line shots, and wicked drop shots on occasion. Topspin forehands tend to be "looped" semi-lobs, but they are always deep, and keep the opponents back, back, back --- giving plenty of time for me to wander up to the net for a putaway.
3. Biggest advantage is that many of my younger and more talented opponents don't know quite how to handle my shots. There is no pace for them to feed off of, the ball is jumping around at odd angles, and as a result, they can't hit their normally reliable hard groundies. When they do manage to hit a forcing shot, I can often block it back at an angle, or hit a semi-offensive lob that puts them back on the defensive.

Anyway, I just bought three new (demo) Vortex rackets off the internet. One is a 133 so that I will have a backup racket, but I also got a 116 and a 108 to revisit, experiment with a bit. Can't wait to learn some new tricks!

Nice to see that this thread hasn't died---I've been following it off and on for a couple of years.

I've been playing with the Vortex 133 for the past two years. I also tried the 108 and the 116, but I find I get the best results with the 133. PLUS, it totally freaks out my opponents. Most of them can't get over how BIG it is. I have a 4-7/8" grip on it, which also causes some eye bulging.

I am a 68 year old USTA 4.0, only play doubles. So, in that regard, I'm out of the mainstream for this forum, as 99% of the members who post here seem to be only interested in "players" rackets, hitting big forehands with massive topspin, etc. In other words, Nadal wannabes.

My epiphany with the Vortex came when I learned to quit trying so hard to generate spin with it, and just let the racket do its thing. One earlier post mentioned that the racket does extremely well on "reflex" shots. AMEN to that! I always had trouble with service returns against big servers. Now I just let the racket feed off the service power, and the returns just float back to the baseline as if by magic.

Same goes for lobs. The Vortex seems to have some sort of built in radar that causes all lobs to land on the baseline. VERY comforting to me, infuriating to opponents.

In my age group, I don't have to face many serve/volley style opponents. In fact, I am the only consistent serve/volley player I know of in my age group (older than dirt).

Here's what the Vortex has done for my game.
1. Consistent slice serves to the deuce court, topspin kickers to the ad court. Neither serve has wicked pace or apparent big spin, but they handcuff opponents.
2. Consistent groundies, especially off the b/h. LOTS of underspin and bite, very effective sidespin down the line shots, and wicked drop shots on occasion. Topspin forehands tend to be "looped" semi-lobs, but they are always deep, and keep the opponents back, back, back --- giving plenty of time for me to wander up to the net for a putaway.
3. Biggest advantage is that many of my younger and more talented opponents don't know quite how to handle my shots. There is no pace for them to feed off of, the ball is jumping around at odd angles, and as a result, they can't hit their normally reliable hard groundies. When they do manage to hit a forcing shot, I can often block it back at an angle, or hit a semi-offensive lob that puts them back on the defensive.

Anyway, I just bought three new (demo) Vortex rackets off the internet. One is a 133 so that I will have a backup racket, but I also got a 116 and a 108 to revisit, experiment with a bit. Can't wait to learn some new tricks!

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That 133 is just insane . I love that stick.

The only downside as you say is big strokes. You basically have to just jab at the ball and the stick just does everything else on it's own.

The 116 is a lesser version of the 133 and you can take a slightly bigger stroke.

For return of serve there is no better racquet than the 133 on the market .....period.

I have have spend a good amount of time with the new Pro-116 racquet. I strung it with BHB7. This is my first time using these strings, but I don't think that will have impact on my impressions. Per Tom at Vortex this racquet is stiffer than the prototype that I have been using. I believe the prototype was rate rated at 65 and the production racquet is rated at 70. I find the new racquet is just a little sharper in pretty much every way. The difference is not night and day, but noticeably better. My serves go in easier. My ground strokes are going hitting where I want a little more often. My volleys are a little more solid. I am very happy.

I have have spend a good amount of time with the new Pro-116 racquet. I strung it with BHB7. This is my first time using these strings, but I don't think that will have impact on my impressions. Per Tom at Vortex this racquet is stiffer than the prototype that I have been using. I believe the prototype was rate rated at 65 and the production racquet is rated at 70. I find the new racquet is just a little sharper in pretty much every way. The difference is not night and day, but noticeably better. My serves go in easier. My ground strokes are going hitting where I want a little more often. My volleys are a little more solid. I am very happy.

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Great news . Solid stick. People don't laugh at the technogy now that Wilson has come out with the "S" models.

Haven't been on the board for a while, but thought I would check back in on this thread. I am still playing with the 133 3X/week, loving it. I bought three demo rackets off of that auction site a few months ago, so got a second 133, plus a 108 and a 116. I sold the 116 to one of my 4.0 female friends, and she is just terrorizing her opponents with it. She always hit with power and topspin, mostly due to a radical western grip, which she hits with off both sides. Now her topspin is just wicked. She would really like to get a backup racket, but I haven't been able to find one. Guess she will have to pay retail.

I still have the 108, sitting in my basement. Nice stick, but not for me. Unfortunately, my backup 133 developed a crack in the frame (may have already been there when I bought it), and it broke in half a month or so ago.

I play once a week with a men's doubles group, against a senior 4.5 league player. He was so impressed with my improvement in play that he ordered two new 133 rackuets from Vortex, is extremely pleased. His game has picked up, and when we play together, we never lose.

I'm still learning how to best play with the 133. One thing I have learned is to slice all my service returns, even 2nd serve sitters. I can place the ball deep to the corner, or at my opponents feet whenever I want. I also can lob off the serve very well. Most of these are underspin floaters, but lately I've been working on a cross-court topspin lob. When it goes in, it's always a winner.

Haven't been on the board for a while, but thought I would check back in on this thread. I am still playing with the 133 3X/week, loving it. I bought three demo rackets off of that auction site a few months ago, so got a second 133, plus a 108 and a 116. I sold the 116 to one of my 4.0 female friends, and she is just terrorizing her opponents with it. She always hit with power and topspin, mostly due to a radical western grip, which she hits with off both sides. Now her topspin is just wicked. She would really like to get a backup racket, but I haven't been able to find one. Guess she will have to pay retail.

I still have the 108, sitting in my basement. Nice stick, but not for me. Unfortunately, my backup 133 developed a crack in the frame (may have already been there when I bought it), and it broke in half a month or so ago.

I play once a week with a men's doubles group, against a senior 4.5 league player. He was so impressed with my improvement in play that he ordered two new 133 rackuets from Vortex, is extremely pleased. His game has picked up, and when we play together, we never lose.

I'm still learning how to best play with the 133. One thing I have learned is to slice all my service returns, even 2nd serve sitters. I can place the ball deep to the corner, or at my opponents feet whenever I want. I also can lob off the serve very well. Most of these are underspin floaters, but lately I've been working on a cross-court topspin lob. When it goes in, it's always a winner.

I have have spend a good amount of time with the new Pro-116 racquet. I strung it with BHB7. This is my first time using these strings, but I don't think that will have impact on my impressions. Per Tom at Vortex this racquet is stiffer than the prototype that I have been using. I believe the prototype was rate rated at 65 and the production racquet is rated at 70. I find the new racquet is just a little sharper in pretty much every way. The difference is not night and day, but noticeably better. My serves go in easier. My ground strokes are going hitting where I want a little more often. My volleys are a little more solid. I am very happy.

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Just alerting you that I responded to your post from years ago above . Hopefully you are still around and can share your thoughts on the stick .

There are so few of us vortex users and I really would love to talk about the sticks .

I think it's the greatest racquets ever made and as you I hope it remains a secret .

The only drawback is having people to share experiences with .

Anyway ..... I have made some changes .....I switched to the ES 116 because I finally learned how to play with it.

This stick is by far and away the greatest serve and volley stick I have ever played with.

Having said that the only way to use this monster is with a Continental grip and Mcenroe type strokes.

The stick just does all the work for you .

Now that I have got the hang of it I am intrigued by the 133 which I have in a closet and the pro 116 which I do not own and have never tried.

I don't have the pro 116 but schenkili says that he had tried it and likes it better than the Es 116......do you still feel that way?

I am really loving the power of the ES and I don't know if I wanted to sacrifice any of it .

Those hard to reach volleys or volleys at your feet just are volleyed for winners with the ES.

I would love to hear from you bro

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Vortex does not endorse any players on the tour AFAIK so these rackets may never become that popular but there are many great amatuer champions playing these rackets. I think a majority are in CA. Just see the list of players and tournament wins on this FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Vortex-Tennis-160320609806/

I have a few and do enjoy playing them but my main stick is still the pc600 since I like to take big swings.

Vortex does not endorse any players on the tour AFAIK so these rackets may never become that popular but there are many great amatuer champions playing these rackets. I think a majority are in CA. Just see the list of players and tournament wins on this FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Vortex-Tennis-160320609806/

I have a few and do enjoy playing them but my main stick is still the pc600 since I like to take big swings.

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I have almost nothing in common with a pro player ....I never understood why people copy pros?

Anyway .....Vortex has added player sticks to their line up since the ES series which first came out .

I have almost nothing in common with a pro player ....I never understood why people copy pros?

Anyway .....Vortex has added player sticks to their line up since the ES series which first came out .

The Tour 95 may work for you ?

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Yes, its much closer to the pc600 but I have enough of these classic sticks to last a few lifetimes I play my Vortex and sometimes even Bab Aeros when I want have more fun hitting extra spin like some dubs matches.

Yes, its much closer to the pc600 but I have enough of these classic sticks to last a few lifetimes I play my Vortex and sometimes even Bab Aeros when I want have more fun hitting extra spin like some dubs matches.

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Understood .

For me the ES 116 has been a game changer .

I've always been about a 4.5 serve and volleyer with a Mcenroe style of game .

But on clay in singles it's been just a mess . Simply put I get destroyed by these Nadal types out there. I have no chance ....I feel like a 3.0 on clay.

The Es 116 has changed all of that for me .
I can finesse the ball with power now ....and volleys are a freaking dream !!!

I can honestly say that as a club player the ES 116 is hands down the greatest serve and volley stick of all time !!!! Even a 3.0
Player can serve and volley with this puppy .

But that's about all its good for which is fine by me because that's my game .

It's definitely a specially stick .

I am playing now In Europe on the red clay and I have beat my instructor the last three times out serving and volleying on the dirt.

Sorry for going on about these sticks but I just thought of something ...

These vortex 116 are similar to the now ILLEGAL Dunlop max superlong +2.25.

The reason they were made illegal is because they tested it out on The scud.....his power was the same but is serve accuracy went up to 80% !!!!

ITF:

Philippousis’ accuracy went up with the Superlong, from 52 percent to 80 percent. Test results with recreational players were similar. Our conclusion: Longer racquets improve serving accuracy, which could alleviate the most boring moments in tennis – the wasted time between first and second serves

i used the prototype Vortex Pro 116 for about a year..It was a great racket and as The Dark Knight says..You couldn't miss with it ..28 1/4 inches long and a huge sweetspot, great control..The reason i switched to the 105s was my forehand. The 105s was a little more manuverable and worked better with my wristy forehand. Once i was able to dial in the right strings with the 105s (kevlar/ZX) i got some better results..I ended up selling the 116 to a 4.0 senior with movement issues and it is perfect for him and he plays great with it..As an aging low 4.5 i can still move pretty well but when my movement slows up the 116 is a great racket to transition into

No, negative publicity is bad for companies and their reputations. I digress.

Wilson's new idea is that there are fewer crosses than mains. Vortex doesn't have that.

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Vortex rackets will produce more spin than any Wilson spin racket. I don't go by the string pattern I go by what gives the most spin, of course I have actually used these rackets were most are only speculating.

Vortex rackets will produce more spin than any Wilson spin racket. I don't go by the string pattern I go by what gives the most spin, of course I have actually used these rackets were most are only speculating.

i used the prototype Vortex Pro 116 for about a year..It was a great racket and as The Dark Knight says..You couldn't miss with it ..28 1/4 inches long and a huge sweetspot, great control..The reason i switched to the 105s was my forehand. The 105s was a little more manuverable and worked better with my wristy forehand. Once i was able to dial in the right strings with the 105s (kevlar/ZX) i got some better results..I ended up selling the 116 to a 4.0 senior with movement issues and it is perfect for him and he plays great with it..As an aging low 4.5 i can still move pretty well but when my movement slows up the 116 is a great racket to transition into

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The pro 116 you used is longer than the Es 116
And heavier than the Es 116. I find the Es 116 amazingly maneuverable .

You should have told Tom before switching to the 105 because he customizes the racquet for you .....he would have shortened it from 28 1/4 to whatever length you want ....and if it's too short he can always lengthen it .

Shortening the pro 116 would have made it more maneuverable and lighter as well.

Vortex rackets will produce more spin than any Wilson spin racket. I don't go by the string pattern I go by what gives the most spin, of course I have actually used these rackets were most are only speculating.

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Wilson has fewer crosses so you can get tons of spin while retaining very similar control to traditional patterns.